Airplane rudder



M. GLIWA AIRPLANE RUDDER Oct. 23, 1951 'NVENTOR.

Filed June 10, 1946 Patented Oct. 23, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIRPLANE RUDDER Michael Gliwa, Chicago, Ill.

Application June 10, 1946, Serial No. 675,607

. 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to airplane rudders and has for its main object the provision of a rudder of a novel construction and of an eflicient operation for steering the airplane in a horizontal plane.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a suitable mounting means for an airplane rudder, on the nose of an airplane, or rear end thereof.

With the above general objects in view and others that will appear as the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawing forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view, on horizontal plane, through an end of an airplane, either front or rear;

Fig, 2 is a fragmentary top elevational view of an airplane end with the present device in an operative position; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of an airplane, with the rudder in position therewith, with one side of the fuselage broken away, illustrating the steering mechanism of the rudder.

Referring in detail to the present drawing there is shown an airplane fuselage ID, with the side walls of which inclined walls ll rigidly connect for forming nose [2, which may be either at the front or rear end of the fuselage, depending on the end at which it is desired to place the rudder herein disclosed.

Positioned within the apex of said inclined walls H, and rigidly affixed thereto in any suitable manner is bearing member l3 which is of a triangular formation on a transverse cross-section. Said bearing member I3 extends to the top and bottom walls of fuselage Ill and may be likewise rigidly attached thereto.

The rudder includes a pair of vertically, angularly disposed plates M, which are rigidly connected along one of their vertical edges. Rigidly connecting with the top and bottom ends of said plates [-4 "are top and bottom plates l5, the latter overlying the outer faces of top and bottom walls of the fuselage within nose l2.

Extending longitudinally of said bearing member I3 is rookpost IS, the ends of which rigidly connect with plates I5.

Rigidly connecting with the apex formed by plates 14 is rudder plane I I.

Rigidly connecting with rock-post I6 is steering bar l8, which extends through an angular slot 19 made in said bearing member Hi. The free end of said steering bar It; is supported upon plate '20, and is passed through a longitudinal horizontal slot made in the vertical extension 2| of said plate 20. Integrally formed and horizontally extending from said extension I2 is toothed plate 22, below which said steering bar I8 is adapted for angular shifting movement on horizontal plane, as is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. Said plates 2|] and 22 are supported by standards 23 rigidly affixed to the floor of fuselage l0.

Rigidly affixed to said steering bar [8 is collar 24' against/Which coil spring 25, set upon said steering bar 1'8, bears. Positioned adjacent the opposite end of said coil spring 25 is collar 26 having projection 21 which is adapted to engage teeth upon plate 22, said projection 21 being urged to said plate 22 by said coil spring 25.

From the hereinabove description it will be seen that through the medium of said projection 21 steering bar 3 may be locked to said plate 22 so as to maintain the same in a shifted, adjusted position, as is seen in Fig. 1. Said projection 21, however, will not interfere with angular shifting of said steering bar l8 in either direction, because, when manual pressure is applied to the outer free extremity of said steering bar l8 the same will shift against the action of projection 21, the latter simply riding upon teeth in plate 22.

As steering bar I8 is shifted to either direction, rookpost l6 will be caused to make rotary shifting movement, thereby angularly shifting plates l5, with which said rock-post l6 rigidly connects as stated. With the shifting of said plates 15, plates I4 will likewise shift, and with the latter rudder plane I! will shift in either direction, as is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, for steering airplane in a horizontal plane.

It is further observed that when steering bar l8, and consequently rudder plane ll, are in neutral position as is shown by full lines in Fig. 1, plates l4 will remain in a spaced, parallel relation with inclined walls II. By virtue of this arrangement there is sufficient play for plates M to shift towards or away from inclined walls II for shifting rudder plane [1.

If the rudder is placed rearwardly of the fuselage, for the purpose of deflecting air from coming into the passage defined by plates 14 and incline walls I I, plates 28 are rigidly afiixed to said incline walls I l approximately at the point of 3 juncture of the latter with the side walls 01' fuselage ill.

If, however, the rudder is used forwardly of fuselage ill, in that event air deflecting plates 28 may be entirely eliminated.

While there is described herein preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit ahd'sco'pe of the invention as'claimed.

What I claim as new is:

In an airplane, including a fuselage having at the rear end thereof a pair of diverging end walls connected at their inner ends, said endsdefining a corner, a rudder device comprising a bearing mounted within said corner, a troughlike member disposed adjacentsaid corner and,

4 horizontal end plates, a rudder plane rigidly connected with said vertical plates substantially at the juncture thereof, and means for rocking said rockpost for angularly shifting said rudder plane horizontally, and air deflecting plates extending from said diverging end walls, the free ends of said air deflecting plates being substantially in alignment with the free edges of said vertical plates in their medial position.

MICHAEL GLIWA.

REFERENCES CITED The'following references are of record in the .file of this. patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS (1st Addition to No. 666,715) 

